Environmental rights activist and Executive Director of the Youth and Environmental Advocacy Center (YEAC), Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, has attributed the recent explosion on the Trans-Niger Delta Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, to equipment failure rather than the ongoing political crisis in the region.
In an interview with Daily Post, Fyneface cautioned against speculating that ethnic tensions or sabotage were responsible for the explosion. Instead, he pointed to the aging infrastructure operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Shell as the primary cause.
Aging Pipelines Pose Increasing Risk
According to Fyneface, the pipelines—installed over six decades ago—are deteriorating and more prone to failure due to increased pressure during crude oil transportation.
“These pipelines have been laid for over sixty years, and they are bursting and deflating like balloons when there is heavy pressure transporting crude oil to the export terminal in Bonny,” he said.
He criticized the lack of regular maintenance, warning that the aging infrastructure makes future explosions and oil spills more likely.
Rejecting Political Crisis Link
Fyneface also dismissed claims that the explosion was connected to political tensions in Rivers State. In recent months, there have been threats from some youths to sabotage pipelines amid ethnic disputes between the Ikwerre and Ijaw groups.
“Ogoni land does not belong to either the Ikwerre or Ijaw ethnic nationalities,” Fyneface clarified, emphasizing that while political conflicts exist, they were not the cause of the explosion.
He urged the public and media to avoid making unfounded connections between the pipeline explosion and the region’s political unrest.
Call for Investigation and Accountability
The environmental advocate stressed that a thorough investigation by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) is necessary to determine the precise cause of the explosion. He highlighted the frequency of oil spills and pipeline failures in the Niger Delta, suggesting that any period without such incidents is rare.
“Any week or month that passes without these two occurrences is a time for celebration,” he remarked, underlining the environmental toll caused by these failures.
Future Threats Due to Oil Industry Divestment
Fyneface also raised concerns about the ongoing divestment by multinational oil companies, warning that the transfer of infrastructure to local firms could worsen the situation.
“A lot of these things have been happening, and more are still going to happen because a lot of these pipelines are already bad, already weak,” he explained.
He argued that many indigenous companies lack the technical expertise and financial resources to properly maintain the infrastructure, increasing the likelihood of future pipeline failures and oil spills.
Conclusion
The explosion on the Trans-Niger Delta Pipeline highlights the urgent need to address Nigeria’s aging oil infrastructure. Fyneface’s warnings suggest that without significant maintenance efforts and regulatory oversight, the region may continue to face environmental disasters that threaten both the ecosystem and local communities.
